The present invention relates to apparatus for controlling lint, dust and other debris in textile plants and, more specifically, to an apparatus particularly adapted to be mounted on a circular knitting machine to remove such debris therefrom and to limit debris accumulation thereon.
At substantially all stages of the processing of textile fibers, particularly cotton, from the initial fiber cleaning and preparation stage through yarn spinning and fabric production, the necessary handling of the textile fibers and yarns inherently liberates minute pieces of fiber, commonly referred to as lint, as well as other particulate dust and debris which tend to become readily airborne within the work area of the textile processing plant and ultimately to settle and accumulate on machinery and other exposed surfaces within the plant interior. Lint, dust and other debris pose a variety of problems to the textile manufacturer. For example, in fabric production operations, airborne lint and dust which settle on the processing machinery or on the yarn being utilized may cause defects in the fabric being produced and may adversely affect the proper operation of the fabric-producing machinery, in turn affecting operating efficiency and revenues.
One type of textile fabric-producing machine which is particularly subject to these problems is a circular knitting machine. In particular, large-diameter circular knitting machines may have a cylinder diameter of several feet with hundreds or even thousands of needles slidably supported in axial needle slots in the cylinder periphery and a corresponding number of needles, sinkers or other knitting instruments in radial slots in a cooperating dial concentric with the cylinder. Such knitting machines typically also have numerous yarn feeding stations spaced about the circumference of the cylinder each supplied from overhead with one or more individual yarns traveling through a series of stop motions and/or yarn storage feeding devices. In such circular knitting machines, it is important to prevent or at least minimize lint and other debris accumulation on the individual yarns as they are fed, on the instruments through which they are fed (e.g., stop motions, storage feeders, etc.) and on the knitting needles and the associated operative components and surfaces of the needle cylinder and dial of the knitting machine in order to promote cleanliness of the yarns and proper operation of the knitting instrumentalities of the machine.